Conservative leadership candidates to make speeches to conference

Their contest has been the focus of the four-day gathering.

The International Convention Centre in Birmingham ahead of the Conservative Party Conference (PA) (PA Wire)

Conservative leadership candidates will call for a “new Conservative Party”, “optimism”, touch on the party’s future and the economy in their final conference speeches.

Robert Jenrick, Kemi Badenoch, James Cleverly and Tom Tugendhat will all address delegates in Birmingham on Wednesday in their bids to become Rishi Sunak’s successor.

Their contest has been the focus of the four-day gathering, as the party looking to rebuild after the election loss in July.

Mr Jenrick, who has attracted the most support from MPs so far, is expected to call for a “new Conservative Party” if it wants to “tackle the immense challenges” it faces.

“If I become our leader, this is what – together – we will build,” he will say.

He will also set out the changes the party will have to make, including a rejection of mass migration and a focus on building.

Mr Tugendhat will similarly set out his plans for a “new Conservative revolution” in areas such as the economy and housing.

“I will build an economy that works for you,” he is expected to say.

“That delivers homes and jobs for our children, that helps people back to well-paid work, that lets you choose what you do with your money.

“That’s my politics, that’s what I will deliver that’s what I mean by a new Conservative revolution.”

Ms Badenoch is also expected to focus on economic policy and pitch that the Conservatives “have to be the party of wealth creation”.

She will tell delegates that “wealth is not a dirty word, it supports jobs and families it pays for our schools, for our health service. We should encourage it”.

The task of winning back voters who splintered to other parties at the election has been a pre-occupation at this conference, the first since the party’s defeat.

Mr Cleverly will tell members to be “enthusiastic” and “optimistic”, and that they will win back the electorate by being “professional”.

“Let’s sell the benefits of a Conservative government with a smile,” he will say.

“We will not win back voters by pretending to be something we’re not. We win back voters by being honest, by being professional, by being Conservative.”

Addressing Reform UK directly, he will say that Nigel Farage’s party “didn’t deliver Brexit, we did. Reform didn’t cut immigration, I did. And mark my words, we will beat Reform by being the best version of ourselves”.

The candidates will be whittled down from four to two next week, by the parliamentary party before the membership gets the final say.

The winner of the contest is due to be announced on November 2.

Earlier this week, interim party chairman Richard Fuller insisted that there would be “no change” to the election schedule amid pressure for it to be shortened so that the party’s new leader can respond to the Budget at the end of October.

Speaking to the BBC on Monday, Mr Fuller said: “The 1922 Committee wanted a longer campaign. They wanted to have four candidates here at conference.”